It is really difficult to imagine any other place that can offer so many good things all at once. This is the reason that I always love to visit Tuscany during my holidays and spend my vacation relaxing in the coziness of Tuscany villas.

Embedded with beautiful sites and culture, excellent food and wine to make you go haywire, the land has really something that soothes both mind and body. The amazing thing about the land is that you can go for swimming in the summer and go skiing in winter. With its varied landscapes and numerous activities to indulge in, it really makes a perfect destination for a holiday. Tuscany is also home to world’s most famous museums and famous artists as well as influential people such as Petrarch, Dante, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Niccolo Machiavelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo Galilei, and Amerigo Vespucci. Some of the most popular haut couture houses like Gucci and Ferragamo are also located here. The beautiful landscapes with the rolling hills and well preserved medieval villages, filled to the brim with pretty charming sceneries offer a spectacular view, and on top of every hill, you can see a beautiful Tuscany villa.

Tuscany Villas

A day in Tuscany wouldn’t finish without tasting its delicious food and wines that range from basic everyday wines to the top class bottles that can rival any other district. Brunello, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Chianti Classico and the Super Tuscans are just a few of the many wines that the wineries of the region produce.

Olive oil is a part of Tuscan food and a famous ingredient of Tuscany, which the Tuscan people are particularly proud of. Tuscan people use olive oil in everything from preparing salads, making bread to frying and everything in between. It is considered as one of the most peppery and spicy in all of Italy.

The mix of order and organization has given Tuscany one of the highest standards of living in Italy. With its colorful blend of culture, tradition and simple living, Tuscany offers an exciting and marvelous holiday opportunity for tourists to enjoy and be part of its local life.

Tuscany food is really tasty and essentially a variant on the Mediterranean diet. The food is rich in olive oil, legumes, fish, fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables. The food in Tuscany is usually complemented with Tuscan wine. The carbohydrates eaten in Tuscany, such as pasta, rice, bread and polenta are low in fat and rich in starch. This diet is truly helpful in weight management and good for heart health.

If you are really interested in learning the traditional Tuscan cuisine, you need to first stock your cupboard and refrigerator with number of ingredients. You need good quality extra virgin olive oil. Extra virgin oil is produced in the first pressing without the application of any heat. It has all the vital ingredients that are important for both taste and health.

Tuscan Food

Pasta, an important ingredient for any pasta dish, is required which is preferably made in Italy or according to traditional recipes and methods. Most of the pasta sold in malls is not of good quality so while buying take care to buy pastas of branded company.

The major legumes used in Tuscan dishes are cannelloni beans, borlotti beans, chick peas and lentils. You will also need some medium ground cornmeal for polenta. Avoid the ready made polenta and make your own.

Cheese is also a major ingredient in any Tuscan dish. You will need Parmesan cheese, which should be bought in piece not ready grated. The grated parmesan soon gets stale and tastes terrible. Once you have tried the fresh kind, you will understand the difference and will never go back to grated variety.

The different types of rice often used in Tuscan dishes are carnaroli, vialone andd nano. For preparing risotto, you will require arborio rice. This really tastes awesome and has a unique aroma.

Balsamic vinegar is widely used in Tuscan cuisine, as are anchovies. For seasoning, you need capers, dried porcini mushrooms and plenty of herbs.

Tuscan classic recipes include meat filet in balsamic vinegar sauce. Well, you may use beef or pork for this dish. The steak is simply fried and then the pan is deglazed with a mixture of stock, balsamic vinegar, lemon, pepper and garlic. The resulting sauce can be thickened with a little cornflour but this is not essential.

Tuscan food is usually categorized as “slow food” in reference to the process of making the food, which really takes a long period, and eaten slowly compared to the mass produced fast food that makes up modern diet. Truly Tuscan cuisine preserves local culinary traditions that have been developed in Tuscany over centuries.

Sicily – a pearl of the Mediterranean Sea - can be well discovered and experienced through a series of itineraries dedicated to all tasters ranging from nature to history and tradition. The region surrounded by the incredible colours of the Mediterranean Sea, its crystal clear water and the beauty of its seabeds always attracts tourists to seek its serenity.

Sicily Villas

Beautifully surrounded by the tiny islands, Sicily offers unique and extraordinary sceneries, scents and flavours of pristine nature. The incredible charming nature of Sicily also hosts the great volcanoes, which resembles the power of the nature. The important provinces of the region are Palermo (regional capital), Agrigento, Catania, Caltanissetta, Enna, Messina, Ragusa, Siracusa and Trapani.

There are many interesting places in Sicily that marks its distinctiveness. Etna, the greatest active volcano in Europe is in the east of Sicily and is one of the fundamental stops to discover in this region. There are wonderful gorges which you can admire while on your visit to this wonderful land. Among the various beautiful islands surrounding Sicily, the Aeolian Islands are the one listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List and is not to be missed on your visit. This archipelago consists of 7 islands - Lipari, Vulcano, Stromboli, Salina, Filicudi, Alicudi and Panarea – and a series of islets and rocks of different sizes.

Sicily Villas with Garden

Another wonderful UNESCO listed heritage site is Agrigento, which is one of the most important towns of Magna Graecia. Apart from this, the famous Valley of the Temples is also a great tourist destination surrounded by green olive trees, almond trees, citrus orchards and the vineyards that stretch out to the sea. Taormina, needs no words to describe it, is a landscape that seduce your eyes. It is a beautiful small village to visit while in Sicily.

Sicily offers many wonderful beaches to explore along with the seabeds and try your strength against the sea with windsurfing and kitesurfing as this gives an opportunity to feel the thrill of the wind. Visit one of the world renowned spas located here, which offers relaxing therapeutic treatments to distress you and make you feel rejuvenated.

Along with Italy, Sicily is also rich in history and culture. Famous writers have got their inspirations from this land and have given great creations such as “the Leopard” or “the House of the Medlar Tree.” The enchanting atmosphere and the mild climate with the beauty of the land have always attracted great men towards this land.

Therefore, it is no doubt to say that a vacation in Sicily is worth enjoying along with the cosiness of the Tuscany villas.

Abruzzo is situated in central Italy and it stretches from the heart of the Apennines to the Adriatic Sea, mainly on the mountainous land. To seep the beauty of mountains, there are many tourist resorts as well as Tuscany villas available. The regions have well-equipped facilities for skiing and other winter sports, which can be enjoyed at the unpolluted peaks and rocky walls, like Pescasseroli, Rivisondoli and Roccaraso. The beautiful landscape of the Gran Sasso, and the Laga Mountains have marvellous slopes that stretch down towards the Adriatic coast. This route crosses the territories that are rich in history, traditions and art that always entice tourists.

Italy Villas

There are many natural reserves located here, like the national parks of Abruzzo, the Park of Gran Sasso and the Laga Mountains that ensure the protection to the typical vegetable and animal species of the area like the golden eagle, the wolf, and the Marsican brown bear. The Adriatic coast in Abruzzo is long with sandy beaches to the north and the pebbly beaches to the south. The small villages of the hinterland, as well as the monasteries, castles and the Tuscany villas of the region are really outstanding for tourists to explore.

There are many historic places to visit in Abruzzo that holds the history depicting in its beautiful monuments and architecture. Some of the towns worth visiting in this region are L’Aquila, Pescara, Chieti, Teramo, and Scanno. These towns are rich in history and traditions, and treasure precious artistic vestiges.

Italy Villas with Pool

Due to its variegated landscape, Abruzzo offers different types of holidays full of excitement and surprises. There are many sports that can be enjoyed such as skiing, snowboard, and snow rafting. You can even enjoy by going on nature walks, excursions on foot, mountain bike or trekking routes in protected areas. Along the coast, you can take part in sea activities such as sailing, canoeing, fishing, windsurfing as these beaches are well equipped with modern facilities. There are also some places for cycle trails in pinewoods and beech groves after that you can spend nights full of excitement by visiting the many clubs, pubs, and the restaurants in the sea resorts.

Along with its natural beauty, Abruzzo has a rich culinary tradition with various traditions attached to each province. As in the main course, the typical recipe is Scapece, pickled fried fish, which is common and wherever you go, you can find plenty of lamb, kid, and mutton along with typical salami produced locally. A typical meal in Abruzzo is accompanied by a selection of the best wines in the region. A dessert of almonds and honey is also usually preferred as the end of the course. No doubt, there are plenty of places to visit and things to enjoy while on your tour to Abruzzo.

Well, if you are planning for your next vacation then no doubt you can prefer to choose Abruzzo for its wild beauty, historic places, culinary tradition and delicious wine to add warmth to your stay at one of the Tuscany villas.

Uffizi Gallery

The Uffizi Gallery is one of the world’s top art museums and most visited museum in Florence. The museum in-houses some of the most important works of Renaissance including works by Leonardo da Vinci, Giotto, Botticelli and Michelangelo and others. The Uffizi palace was designed and begun in 1560 by the architect Giorgio Vasari in the period when Cosimo de’ Medici, first Grand Duke of Tuscany, was bureaucratically consolidating his recent takeover of power.

Uffizi-Gallery

The Medici set aside a few rooms on the third floor to house the finest works of their collections. The Gallery was subsequently enriched by various members of the Medici family. Two centuries later, in 1737, the palace and their collection were left to the city by Anna Maria Luisa, the last Medici heir, and today houses one of the world’s greatest art galleries.

Accademia Gallery

This gallery houses Michelangelo’s David, easily the most famous sculpture in the world. Strolling inside the museum, you will see the five other Michelangelo sculptures, the unfinished and powerful Prisoners and St. Matthew and a collection of Gothic and Renaissance Paintings that were once in Medici collections.

The Bargello Museum

Primary a sculpture museum, you’ll be amazed to see the early Michealangelo marbles and Giambologna bronzes and then on to a room full of famous works by Donatello, considered by many the greatest sculptor.

The-Bargello-Museum

Pitti Palace

This palace houses important collections of paintings and sculptures, works of art, porcelain, silver and period costumes. The rooms in the palace contain the works by Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio and many others. The beautiful Bobolli Gardens are behind the palace.

Alabester Museum in Volterra

Volterra is the city of alabaster par excellence, the tradition dating back to the Etruscans. The Alabaster Museum displays over 300 works of alabaster art, together with the antiques and paintings.

Apart from these are many other museums that are worth visiting. While staying at one of the Tuscany Villas, you can enjoy a lot visiting many of these museums.

It is a well known fact that Tuscany is world famous for its food and wine produce. This rich fertile and luxuriant soil has produced unique, high quality goods for centuries. These products are the jewel in the crown, together with the tourist industry, of the region’s economy.

Rent Villas in Tuscany

Every area has its own something special, typical, characteristic products. Siena is popular for its panforte cake and ricciarelli for its almond biscuits. While the nearby rural areas are well-known for the production of cinta senesa pork salami products and for cacia pecorino cheese made in the area to the south of Siena known as “le Crete”. The Chianti area is quite famous for its wonderful extra virgin olive oil and most importantly for its red wine - Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montepulciano. In Florence, visitors can try the ribollita soup and the famous “Fiorentina” steak which comes from the Chianina breed of cows. In Livorno, you can try the caciucco, a tasty fish soup made on the coast.

Apart from these items, there are many Italian recipes from the central region of Tuscany, which is probably the best region of Italy for its beauty, history and charm. Each region has its own culinary speciality and own versions of a common Italian dish. Something like pizza is made differently in Naples, Rome, Florence and Milan. And once you have tasted the regional dishes in Italy, you’ll want to discover what makes them really so delicious, good and so different from what you have tasted before so that you can make this dish on your own back home.

Tuscany Villas

Florentine cooking is linked to a tradition of simple dishes prepared with genuine, tasty but plain ingredients which has recently been considered by the world of more sophisticated cuisine. Cereals, bread, vegetable and oil are the basis of many recipes that just have to be tried in one of the restaurants in Florence.

In the nutshell, we can say that for most people Tuscany conjures up images of rural tranquillity, wonderfully preserved medieval towns and the excellent Tuscan country cuisine. Thus, renting a villa in Tuscany, you will have a perfect base to enjoy the beautiful regions along with the culinary tradition of the various places.

Visiting the region like Liguria, which is rich with beautiful cities and towns, you can enjoy the fragrant perfumes of its focacia bread, sold from stalls and little baker’s shops facing directly on to the streets and alleyways. While in Genoa, you can enjoy the slice or two of the city’s mouth-watering fugassa. Apart from this, you can join the queues of locals outside the celebrated baker’s shops in Via Albaro, Via Cavallotti or Via Manuzio. Liguria’s Recco that is famous for being the birth place of the focaccia col formaggio. Of truly ancient origin, this savory delight is comprised of two slices of focaccia bread, made with water, extra virgin olive oil and yeast free flour, filled with a layer of soft crescenza cheese. The classic place where to savor the specialty is at Manuelina in Via Roma 276.

Italy Villas

Whilst the fame of some local dishes have spread far and wide beyond Italian and European borders whereas the other street foods remain strictly linked to a specific territory and can only be found in that area. These dishes belong to an age-old gastronomic tradition, often far ahead of modern tastes and precisely for this reason well worth trying.

At Ancona, one can try the most typical food, which is the city’s “crocette in porchetta”, small molluscs cooked in tomato sauce and flavored with wild fennel. The specialty has all but disappeared from the streets of Ancona, bar one place: the kiosk in Corso Mazzini, near to the Tredici Cannelle.

Villas Rental Italy

Venice’s “fritolin”, fried fish served in a paper cone to be eaten in the street, is the most savory of dishes, which can be relished at leisure. A restaurant named the Vecio Fritolin in Calle della Regina, is one of the most famous and most popular in the city, which offers this delicious local dish. It has decided not to change the dish’s original savory taste, offering clients the possibility to taste a cone-full of little fish as they wander around the streets of Venice.

So, on your stay at Tuscany villas in Italy, take the pleasure of all these local foods and enjoy your tour to the most.

The reasons that it’s a girl’s favorite destination are many. It offers a plethora of beaches, the Mediterranean climate, the Italian Riviera delicious food and wine; the arts, music, and culture; spas and wellness centers; cooking, cycling, walking and other specialty tours; designer fashions, boutiques and markets, and more. There are really many interesting things to do and fascinating places to visit and enjoy.

I avoided to visit in the month of August as Italy is quite hot and crowded during this month. Especially during August, most of the Italians move towards beaches vacating the cities, this make the beaches quite crowded. In the mid-September, I made a plan and visited the place taking an independent trip, covering much of the Italy from Rome to the south of Naples.

Tuscany Villas

It was much easier and less planning work as our team of girls decided to take on an escorted tour in order to avoid any problems while on the tour. Our accommodations were already booked in advance in one of the finest Tuscany villas with 6 beds in order to get much space for each one of us.

We started with Rome and Florence as these two places were in our big list. Venice was given less priority seeing on our tight schedule. Language was the only barrier that we faced here otherwise; it was really a great trip to these places. In Rome, we booked for “Roman Dolce Vita” - an urban adventures walking tour. Local guide took us to visit city highlights like the boutique-lined Via Condotti, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon, but also to locals’ favorite espresso and gelato shops. The thing I loved the most was eating pineapple gelato, which was really yummy and delicious.

Tuscany Villas for Rent

We traveled throughout the country escorted by our tour guide. It was a great experience visiting different places of Italy. Best of all was the authentic experience of Italian life back in the vineyards watching the Giannettis harvesting grapes. It was really great. I have truly enjoyed my trip to Italy along with staying at Tuscany villas, which has added more fervor to our trip.

Whether you are looking for a countryside vacation or want a relaxing holiday on a beach, there are plenty of interesting places to visit during your Tuscan vacation. Many of the visitors coming to Tuscany, look forward to spend time in Florence, Pisa, UNESCO World Heritage landmarks, art galleries, designer clothing stores and historic palaces and cathedrals, but taking sometime to enjoy Tuscany’s natural beauty and gourmet foods is the most exciting way to spend your vacation.

Tuscany Villas

To experience the most romantic European countryside summer outdoor, try to plan your Tuscany holiday outside the busy summer months and try to avoid August in order to avoid heavy crowds. Italy’s Tuscan part provides an incredibly idyllic and surreal place for travellers to relax and unwind.

After spending time in some of the big places of Italy, escape to the countryside where you can stay in one of the beautiful Tuscany villas or holiday farmhouses. Many tourists opt for farm vacation in Italy. This type of vacation is an incredibly favourite way to travel especially when you want to spend time away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Renting one of the farmhouses, you get a great opportunity to relax in tranquillity.

Farmhouses are typically big that can accommodate groups of 6 to 12 people. There are many farmhouses that are sizeable with 6 bedrooms and a number of bathrooms. They are sizeable enough to accommodate two families with kids or a few partners. The typical farmhouse in Tuscany has thick walls, terra cotta floors and raftered ceilings. Most are furnished with antique furnishings of ancient times that add reliable sensation of a farm getaway in Tuscany. The décor surely has the older paintings and pictures on the walls.

Tuscany Villas Renta

Most of the farmhouses have been modernised without compromising the old look in order to offer comfortable stay. The kitchen will have a wooden burning hearth. The modern amenities in the kitchen will cater to your needs of cooking. You will be in the position to cook your meals right here or can opt for the best restaurants in the region. Thus, you can enjoy the most on your vacation staying at one of the farmhouses or Tuscany villas that are located to the close proximity to Italy’s top destinations, so you can enjoy your days in the city and nights relaxing in the countryside.

It was truly interesting to know that in the Italy of the Renaissance Tuscany villas were typically palatial buildings that stood high and gave the impression of luxurious and standard lifestyle. These villas were used as country residences by ruling families such as the de Medicis. However, I have noticed that the villas that are available to rent to tourists today are much more homely and comfortable.

Tuscany Villas

I have seen that these villas are traditionally located in attractive gardens, and have marvellous views of Tuscan countryside. They have been transformed to give modern outlook with modern amenities compared to ancient villas that had been built hundreds of years back.

The scenery is of course the main reason that we have rented Tuscany villa for our vacation. The Tuscan landscape offers some of the most outstanding views in the world and an air of tranquillity that really touched our hearts. I agree that the region is certainly a desirable destination for anybody who is looking for a relaxing holiday.

Apart from relaxing in the villa, we have enjoyed good food and drink, which is something Tuscany, is justifiably famous for. It is not difficult to find good restaurants in the area to sample some delicious and authentic local cuisine. Along with food we have also enjoyed wine produced in the local vineyards. It was a great experience to take part in a wine tour and enjoy the wine tasting. It was really a good opportunity we had to visit those vineyards and to see how wine is produced and to learn more on the wine tasting courses which the vineyard owners offer.

Villas in Tuscany

With its warm Mediterranean weather, Tuscany has an ideal climate for grape growing and includes various world famous wine regions such as Chianti whose wine is world famous. Wondering what more to discover in this beautiful land, we have found that the land is also famous for its culture and history. Art has been very important in the region ever since the Renaissance and it is amazing to find that many of the Tuscany villas are architecturally beautiful.

We have seen the priceless pieces of artwork in Tuscany that were the works of great masters such as Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo Da Vinci. The works we have seen were really awesome and mind-blowing. It was a great experience to see the art pieces of these masters. Anybody even with the slightest interest in art will surely spend many hours in these art museums. Thus, my vacation in Tuscany villas was truly a great experience and I wish to visit Tuscany next time very soon.